33 weeks.
The bun is almost cooked.
And I am really starting to feel like this:
Except let's be real. I am not actually that smiley, and my curling iron probably has sprouted rust by now.
More on the fetus some other time. I have some important things to share, and by things I mean recipe! Singular! I read CookieAndKate.com regularly and man she comes up with some neat things. She had a recent post about using sweet potatoes in taco form, and since I'm a sucker for sweet potatoes, I used her recipe for inspiration.
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos
-1/3 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
-12 oz sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 3/4"-ish chunks
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder (or regular chili powder)
-1 large yellow onion, diced
-1 bell pepper (or any mild pepper really) diced
-1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
-1 teaspoon minced garlic
-1/4 cup water
-2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
-1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems mostly removed
-1 ripe lime
-6 whole wheat tortillas
-6 oz crumbled goat cheese (or whatever cheese you want)
Ok so yeah. The ingredient list is a bit intimidating, but these things come together fairly easily. If you can't find shelled pumpkin seeds at the store (I had to go to Trader Joe's to find them), you could certainly skip them.
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine sweet potato chunks, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and the chipotle chili powder. Spread on a foil-covered baking sheet. Roast these li'l nuggets for 35-40 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. While those are roasting...
2. Heat a shallow pan over medium high heat. Add pumpkin seeds. Stir until they start to toast- they will crackle a bit as they toast. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add onion and pepper. Saute until the onions start to brown. Add garlic and stir until combined. Add black beans and water. Using a fork or an official potato masher (which, ahem, might be my favorite utensil), smoosh up some of the beans. You don't want a total bean paste here, but more of a spreadable sticky mixture. Turn heat to low and cover the pan. While those are simmering...
4. Working in two batches, combine half the avocado, half a lime's juice, half the cilantro, and half the pumpkin seeds in a food processor. Pulse on low until it's smooth-ish. Dump in a small bowl and repeat with the remaining half.
5. Once sweet potatoes are tender with a bit of crispness on the edges, you can serve up your tacos. I went an extra step and cooked my tortilla on a grill pan for a minute. Not a have-to. Put a blob of the bean/onion/pepper mix on your tortilla, followed by some sweet potatoes. Top with the goat cheese and a nice blob of the homemade guac.
Both my husband and I agreed that one taco is plenty filling (thaaaaanks beans!). These have a really unique taste- a little sweet, a little spicy, a little citrusy.
And of course after I ate, I re-assumed the beached whale position on the couch. 'Til next mealtime at least.
Makes six tacos. Per taco: 450 calories, 15 g protein, 68 g carbs, 21 g fiber (!!), 13 g fat (all heart-healthy)
